Madonna’s Official Number One Singles' Sales Revealed! 07 February 2014 Madonna’s Official Number One Singles' Sales Revealed! It’s an incredible 30 years since the undisputed Queen of Pop had her very first Top 10 hit with Holiday. To celebrate, we count down her 13 Number 1s and reveal the biggest selling of them all… Google + It’s an incredible 30 years since the undisputed Queen of Pop had her very first Top 10 hit with Holiday. To celebrate Madonna’s three decades of Official Charts supremacy, we count down her 13 Number 1s and reveal the biggest selling of them all… 13. Sorry (2006) To kick things off, it’s one of Madonna’s most recent chart-toppers. The second single to be released from Madge’s big return to the disco album Confessions On A Dance Floor, Sorry was something of a surprise Number 1 for her. The video was Madonna in full kitsch mode – first driving around in her own version of the Vengabus (possibly) before rollerskating dressed like a kind of disco astronaut.

It was catchy, it was energetic and it was a worthy chart-topper WHO DID IT BEAT? Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On had to settle for Number 2. CHART FACT: It was the first time she’d had two consecutive Number 1s in five years. SALES: 200,000 12. Who’s That Girl (1987) A product of Madonna’s movie ambitions – with some success – Who’s That Girl was the first of three tracks released from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name. After a whole campaign with blond hair, brunette Madonna was back and up to her usual tricks, dancing about and ‘causing a commotion’ in between clips from the movie. Critics had their knives out for the movie, in which Madonna played a kooky ex-con with sticky fingers but a heart of gold, but Madge just about pulls it off. As lead singles go, it may not be up there with Madonna’s finest, but it has a certain charm. WHO DID IT BEAT? Madonna knocked Pet Shop Boys’ It’s A Sin off the top. Almost 20 years later, they would remix Sorry for its single release.

So no hard feelings, then. That's good. CHART FACT: Who’s That Girl was Madonna’s second chart-topper to spend just one week at Number 1. SALES: 350,000 11. American Pie (2000) A long, long time ago… well, 1972 to be exact, Don McLean had a hit with the classic American Pie, which was so long it took up two sides of a 7” single (ask your mum). Madonna, for reasons that are unclear, decided to cover the song, but to make it all fit nicely onto one CD (ask your older sister) she edited the track considerably. Then-collaborator William Orbit added his signature swooshes and even Rupert Everett, Madonna’s co-star from movie The Next Best Thing, popped in to lay down some backing vocals and appear in the video. WHO DID IT BEAT? American Pie knocked All Saints’ Pure Shores – another William Orbit production – off the top spot and left N Sync settling for Number 3 with Bye Bye Bye.

Madonna would later go on to team up with N Sync's Justin Timberlake on another Number 1… CHART FACT: Don McLean’s version only got to Number 2. SALES: 390,000 10. La Isla Bonita (1987) Just before Who’s That Girl came La Isla Bonita, a song which, legend has it, was originally written for Michael Jackson. Madonna got her hands on it first, however, and created a new anthem for anybody who wishes their holiday would go on for a bit longer – and she loves a Holiday does our Madge . WHO DID IT BEAT? La Isla Bonita held off Judy Boucher’s boohoofest Can’t Be With You Tonight. CHART FACT: La Isla Bonita took four weeks to slowly climb from Number 5 to spend two weeks on the top spot. Not bad for a fifth and final single from an already huge-selling album, True Blue. SALES: 410,000 9.

Music (2000) Madonna was a force to be reckoned with in late 2000, and enjoyed her second Number 1 of the year with this, the true lead single off her album Music. Although she had just given birth to her second child, Madonna went on a promo blitz for Music, performing a special concert in Brixton that was broadcast over the internet (more impressive then than it sounds now). The Mirwais-produced Art Of Noise-style romp went straight in at Number 1 and is a favourite of hers – she still performs it regularly. Hey Mr DJ, put a record on… is possibly one of her best opening lyrics. WHO DID IT BEAT? Madonna knocked another dance classic off the summit – Spiller and Sophie Ellis–Bextor’s Groovejet slipped to Number 2. CHART FACT: Music was deposed after just one week by A1’s cover of the A-ha chart-topper Take On Me. SALES: 415,000 8. 4 Minutes (2008) Madonna’s most recent chart-topper weighs in next, a duet with Justin Timberlake and featuring Timbaland in the background.

It was the very first time a collaboration had hit Number 1 for Madonna – at that point she preferred to take centre-stage all by herself. WHO DID SHE BEAT? Madonna nudged American Boy by Estelle off the top spot, taking five weeks to do it. CHART FACT: It was the first time a Madonna Number 1 hadn’t gone straight in at the top of charts since Vogue in 1990. It’s also Madonna’s biggest selling download ever and spent a month at Number 1. SALES: 500,000 7. Vogue (1990) Perhaps one of Madonna’s signature tunes, she has learned to love again this massive hit from 1990, last performing it at her Superbowl Halftime Show in 2012. Vogue came seemingly out of nowhere after Madonna’s Like A Prayer album ended. Madonna was said to be in her ‘imperial phase’ – she was just about the hugest star on the planet and was set to bare all in fly-on-the-wall movie about her Blond Ambition tour and star in movie Dick Tracy with then-boyfriend Warren Beatty.

Soundtracking Madonna’s year of excess, Vogue was sophisticated, slowed-down house dripping in glamour. Featuring a rap that namedropped a host of ‘40s screen legends, Madonna’s place among them in the A-list was quickly secured. WHO DID IT BEAT? Madonna Vogued her way to Number 1 at the expense of Snap’s The Power, which ran out of batteries and slid to runner-up spot after two weeks. CHART FACT: Vogue was the 8th best selling single of 1990 and spent four weeks at Number 1 in April. SALES: 515,000 EXTRA CHART FACT: If Beautiful Stranger had been a Number 1, it would have placed here on her sales countdown – 530,000 copies sold. 6. True Blue (1986) Madonna’s third Number 1 was also the third single from the album it gave its name. True Blue was a huge success and its ‘60s-throwback title track saw Madonna at her most demure – something we wouldn’t see again for quite a while.

Written for her then-husband Sean Penn, Madonna seems to have airbrushed True Blue out of history – she hasn’t performed it since 1987. WHO DID IT BEAT? Five Star’s Rain Or Shine had to settle for second place that week, while the Communards’ Don’t Leave Me This Way fell from the top to Number 3. SALES: 540,000 5. Frozen (1998) Returning to pop after a few years off starring in Evita and having her daughter Lourdes, the Madonna of 1997 was her most unusual reinvention yet. Part-Earth mother, part-trance goth and looking a bit like a witch (in the best possible way), Madonna released Frozen, a traditional Madge ballad with a twist, as the lead single from comeback album Ray of Light. WHO DID IT BEAT? Frozen knocked Cornershop’s Brimful Of Asha off Number 1, and kept My Heart Will Go On at Number 2 for another week. CHART FACT: Frozen was Madonna’s first Number 1 for eight years. SALES: 545,000 4.

Like A Prayer (1989) She’d been away for a while, but in early 1989 Madonna made a dramatic comeback. It’s not just her hair that had got dark – her sound was more serious too. Like A Prayer, a rousing gospel-influenced epic, caused instant controversy thanks to its video (pretty tame by 2014 standards, really) and was an instant classic. Even Madonna had to admit in an interview years later that Like A Prayer was “up there” when it came to her best work. WHO DID SHE BEAT? Madge evicted Jason Donovan’s Too Many Broken Hearts from Number 1. And just behind him was Donna Summer’s This Time I Know It’s For Real. CHART FACT: Like A Prayer spent three weeks at Number 1 and was 11th best selling single of 1989. SALES: 580,000 3. Hung Up (2005) Into the Top 3 of Madonna’s chart-toppers now, and this one came courtesy of a pretty big Abba sample. Coming after American Life, a fan-favourite album, but one which hadn’t performed as well as previous albums.

Madonna went back to basics and headed back to the discotheque with this storming global hit. Even though she was recovering from a rather nasty fall from a horse, Madonna really went for it in the video, even stopping off at the arcade to have a go at Dance Dance Revolution. WHO DID SHE BEAT? It was bad news for Westlife – You Raise Me Up had to take a step down. CHART FACT: Hung Up sampled Abba’s Gimme Gimme Gimme, which only made it to Number 3 in 1979. SALES: 610,000 2. Papa Don’t Preach (1986) She’d been flirting with controversy since the very moment she first pulled on a pair of lace gloves and rolled around a gondola in Venice on Like A Virgin, but Madonna was straying into new territory with this tale of teenage pregnancy and a girl who was determined “I’m keepin’ my baby”. Churches were outraged, prim aunties clutched their pearls… and everyone else rushed out to buy this amazing record immediately. It was Madonna’s first proper foray into pushing people’s buttons and making everyone think, but certainly not her last.

And, no, it wasn’t her real dad in the video. And, yes, that Italians Do It Better T-shirt is still brilliant. WHO DID SHE BEAT? Madge knocked Wham!’s Edge Of Heaven off the top. CHART FACT: Papa Don’t Preach was the 11th out of 35 consecutive Top 10 entries for Madonna between 1984 and 1994. 35! SALES: 640,000 1. Into The Groove (1985) “And you can dance… for inspiration…” So the biggest selling Madonna number one is the song that kicked off that impressive 13-strong run of chart-toppers. Released almost as an afterthought, Into The Groove was taken from the soundtrack of Madge’s first movie hit (and, er, last for quite for a while). Despite not having a proper video, and only being a B-side in the USA, Into The Groove is a Madonna classic that almost everyone knows the words to.

Its success was perhaps helped by the fact that a) it didn’t appear on Madonna’s Like A Virgin album until a hasty reissue once it hit Number 1 and b) Madonna was at the very height of her early popularity and c) it was amazing. Into The Groove spent pretty much all of August 1985 at Number 1 and was knocked off the top by UB40 and Chrissie Hynde’s cover of the Sonny & Cher classic I Got You Babe. WHO DID SHE BEAT? Until Madonna came along throwing her pop weight around, Eurythmics were enjoying their first ever Number 1 with There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart). It lasted at the top for just one week. CHART FACT: Holiday was rereleased in July 1985 and peaked at Number 2, sitting right behind Into The Groove for one week. Into The Groove is also Madonna’s best-selling single in the UK, spending 12 weeks in the Top 40, and selling… SALES: 870,000 Madonna's Official Singles Chart story Did you know Madonna has had 59 Top 10 singles as a lead artist?

And that’s without even counting songs that were released more than once – Holiday made the Top 10 three times under three different releases . She had a run of 35 consecutive Top 10 entries from 1984–1994. A decade of nonstop Top 10s! What's your favourite Madonna Number 1? T weet us or join the conversation on Facebook . The UK Number Ones : Artist List Week Ending ACT TITLE Weeks TALLY COMMENT 3 Aug 1985 Madonna Into The Groove 4 1st No 1 From her movie "Desperately Seeking Susan". Often controversial, she became an international mega star. 12 Jul 1986 Madonna Papa Don't Preach 3 2nd No 1 From her album "True Blue". She was now on the way to mega stardom. 11 Oct 1986 Madonna True Blue 1 3rd No 1 Title track from her album. She co-wrote and co-produced all her No 1s during this time.

25 Apr 1987 Madonna La Isla Bonita 2 4th No 1 This 4th chart topper gave her more No 1s than any other solo female artist. 25 Jul 1987 Madonna Who's That Girl 1 5th No 1 From her movie of the same name. She was now a major music star, but her films always disappointed. 25 Mar 1989 Madonna Like A Prayer 3 6th No 1 Taking an anti-catholic stance, the controversial video brought much condemnation in the US. 14 Apr 1990 Madonna Vogue 4 7th No 1 Supported by an award-winning video, the song celebrated the style-conceous New Yorkers. 1 Mar 1998 Madonna Frozen 1 8th No 1 From her successful album "Ray Of Light", she returned to the top after an eight year gap. 5 Mar 2000 Madonna American Pie 1 9th No 1 Cover of Don McLean's 1972 classic (which made No 2). From Madonna's movie "The Next Best Thing".

27 Aug 2000 Madonna Music 1 10th No 1 From her album of the same title. This placed her fourth in the most-number-ones category, although Westlife eventually overtook her. 19 Nov 2005 Madonna Hung Up 1 11th No 1 Back at the top after a gap of 5 years. She remains in fifth place in the most number ones list. 4 Mar 2006 Madonna Sorry 1 12th No 1 A rapid return to the top this time, with another track from her top-selling album "Confessions on a Dance Floor". 19 Apr 2008 Madonna (feat Justin Timberlake) 4 Minutes 4 13th No 1 24 years after her first hit, Madonna could still reach the top of the charts. The duet gave Justin Timberlake another spell in the UK charts. Madonna's Top 10 Pop Hits - Complete List Buy from Amazon Released in February 1984, "Borderline" became Madonna's first top 10 pop single. It remains one of the top favorites among fans and critics of her singles.

The song was written and composed by Reggie Lucas who was the primary producer of Madonna's self-titled debut album. A remix by Madonna's boyfriend at the time John "Jellybean" Benitez added to "Borderline's" popularity in dance clubs. MTV's heavy rotation of the accompanying video is given credit for helping the song climb the pop charts. continue reading below our video Highest Paid Male Actors Ever Madonna - Lucky Star. Courtesy Warner Bros. Buy from Amazon "Lucky Star" followed closely after the top 10 success of "Borderline." It was released in August 1984 and debuted in the top half of the Billboard Hot 100. "Lucky Star" became Madonna's first top 5 hit single in a string of 16 consecutive top 5 releases. The accompanying video caused a stir by showing Madonna writhing on the floor and showing off her belly button. Buy from Amazon "Like a Virgin" is the title single from Madonna's second solo album. It was the first single from the collection and appeared in October 1984 just two months after "Lucky Star." Nile Rodgers of the disco group Chic was the producer.

"Like a Virgin" became a signature song of sorts for Madonna as it topped the pop singles chart, becoming her first #1 hit, and spent six weeks there. It was at the top of the chart by the end of the year, and Madonna made history of sorts when she performed "Like a Virgin" in a wedding gown perched atop a wedding cake at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. The accompanying music video set a high standard with much of it shot on location in Venice, Italy. Buy from Amazon "Angel" was released as the third single from Madonna's Like a Virgin album. There was no music video accompanying its release just a month after "Crazy For You," but that did not stop it from continuing Madonna's hot streak and landing at #5. Today it has been overshadowed by its 12-inch single companion "Into the Groove." The pair combined to be one of the bestselling 12-inch singles of all time. "Into the Groove" remains one of Madonna's most popular songs never released as an official single. It was included on the soundtrack to the film Desperately Seeking Susan.

Buy from Amazon "Live to Tell" was released in March 1986 and included on the soundtrack for Sean Penn's , at the time Madonna's husband, film At Close Range. It was co-produced and co-written by frequent collaborator Patrick Leonard. Eight weeks after its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 "Live to Tell" became Madonna's third #1 hit single. She has said that the song is about the lying that went on in her relationship with her parents. Live performances of the song created considerable controversy on the 2006 Confessions tour when Madonna performed the song while appearing to hang from a lighted cross . Madonna's Biggest Hits: Top 40 Billboard Songs | Billboard Frans Schellekens/Redferns Madonna performs at Feijenoord Stadium on July 24 1990 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She's the Queen of Pop and royalty on the Billboard charts. To celebrate Madonna 's career, we've compiled an exclusive ranking of the diva's 40 biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit singles. 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Since arriving on the Hot 100 the week of Oct.

29, 1983, with "Holiday," she has earned a total of 57 chart hits, including a record 38 top 10s. Yes, you read that right: Madonna has more top 10 hits than any other artist in the history of the chart (and incidentally, Madonna was born the exact same month as the Hot 100 ). The Beatles are in second place, with 34 top 10s. The ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years. 40 "Rain" Hot 100 Peak Position: 14 Peak Year: 1993 "Rain," the fourth single from 1992's Erotica album, comes in at No. 40 on Madonna's all-time biggest hits list.

The commercial release of the maxi-single (and 12" vinyl) was bolstered by the previously unreleased track "Up Down Suite" as well as a jazzy/hip-hip remix of the Erotica album cut "Waiting" (featuring Everlast). 39 "Oh Father" Hot 100 Peak Position: 20 Peak Year: 1990 Accompanied by a stunning black and white music video, the haunting ballad "Oh Father" was the fourth single from the Like a Prayer album. At the time, "Oh Father" had the unfortunate honor of ending Madonna's string of 17 consecutive top 10 hits. "Oh Father" stalled out at No. 20 while all 17 Madonna singles from "Borderline" (1984) through "Cherish" (1989) had reached the top 10. 38 "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" (From "Evita") Hot 100 Peak Position: 8 Peak Year: 1997 "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" took an unconventional route to the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Recorded as the sweeping centerpiece to the movie Evita, the song wasn't necessarily a made-for-radio hit single. However, uptempo dance mixes of the song were produced (which included new vocals from Madonna) and promoted to radio stations. The so-called "Miami Mix" (by producers Pablo Flores and Javier Garza) soon became a smash on the radio and led to a commercial release as a maxi-single and 12" vinyl. Pent-up demand for the remixes engineered a No. 17 debut on the Hot 100 for the single on Feb. 22, 1997. The following week it sailed to its No. 8 peak. 37 "Holiday" Hot 100 Peak Position: 16 Peak Year: 1984 Madonna's first Billboard Hot 100 hit (though not her first single), debuted at No. 88 on Oct. 29, 1983 - and the chart hasn't been the same ever since. The cut would eventually rise to No. 16 on Jan. 18, 1984 and was the first of three top 20 singles from Madonna's self-titled debut album.

"Holiday" is also the third and final non-top-10 hit (with Nos. 37, 39 and 40) on this round-up of Madonna's biggest singles. Every other tune on this tally reached the top 10. 36 "Hanky Panky" Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Year: 1990 In 1990, Madonna could have released pretty much anything and it would have been a hit single. Take for example this goofy (but catchy!) ditty about having a "good spanky." It reached No. 10 on July 28 of that year, as Madonna's massive Blond Ambition Tour was winding its way around the globe. "Hanky Panky" was the second, and final, single from the I'm Breathless album (a sort of companion set to the Dick Tracy film, in which she co-starred). The first Breathless release was "Vogue" - but more on that single in a little bit.

35 "Rescue Me" Hot 100 Peak Position: 9 Peak Year: 1991 "Rescue Me" was one of two new songs recorded for Madonna's first greatest hits album, 1990's The Immaculate Collection. When it debuted at No. 15 on the March 2, 1991 Hot 100 chart, it marked the highest-ever bow for a single by a woman. Further, it was - at the time - one of only four titles to debut in the top 20. The song had been an airplay hit for a full three months before it finally arrived on the Hot 100, as the single had been held back from commercial release. As "Rescue Me's" release was delayed until it had reached its peak of popularity on the radio, it had an artificially short run - eight weeks - on the Hot 100. 34 "Hung Up" Hot 100 Peak Position: 7 Peak Year: 2005 The lead single from 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor boogied its way to No.

7 on the Hot 100 in 2005 and was the first of two chart hits from her discofied album. (A second hit, "Sorry," reached No. 58.) "Hung Up" featured a galloping sample from ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" while its video had Madonna channeling Saturday Night Fever whilst clubbing in London. 33 "Die Another Day" Hot 100 Peak Position: 8 Peak Year: 2002 The title track from the James Bond film, released in 2002, became the first Bond tune to reach the top 10 on the Hot 100 since Duran Duran's A View to a Kill hit No. 1 in 1985. Further, "Die Another Day" was the first official Bond theme song to even chart on the tally since "A View to a Kill." The electro-hued single would go on to appear on Madonna's 2003 album, American Life.

32 "Ray Of Light" Hot 100 Peak Position: 5 Peak Year: 1998 "Ray Of Light" continues to hold the record for Madonna's highest-debuting single ever, as it started at No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart dated July 11, 1998. The single was the title track (and second single) from Madonna's 1998 album, and went on to win a Grammy Award for best dance recording. Its corresponding music video, directed by Jonas Akerlund, also won a Grammy for best short form music video, and earned five MTV Video Music Awards (including Video of the Year). 31 "Erotica" Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Year: 1992 The dark and sexy single - the lead-off track from her 1992 album of the same name - launched with a bang at No. 13 on the Hot 100 dated Oct. 17, 1992. It zoomed to its peak of No. 3 the following week, kept out of the top two slots by Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" (No.

1) and Patty Smyth's "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" (No. 2). 30 "Deeper And Deeper" Hot 100 Peak Position: 7 Peak Year: 1993 The Erotica album's swirling second single, "Deeper and Deeper," topped out at No. 7 on the Hot 100, spending 17 weeks on the list. Its retro music video is riddled with cameos, including her now manager Guy Oseary, Sire Records chief Seymour Stein, longtime friend and actress Debi Mazar and adult film director/DJ/drag diva Chi Chi LaRue. 29 "Keep It Together" Hot 100 Peak Position: 8 Peak Year: 1990 "Keep It Together" was the fifth commercial single from Madonna's 1989 Like a Prayer album and was initially planned to carry with it a previously unreleased b-side. The b-side in question? "Vogue." Luckily, that anthem would go on to have its own single release. Instead, "Keep It Together" set sail on its own - without a sexy b-side to spice up sales.

However, "Keep It Together" was remixed to become slightly more radio-friendly. Its redux was reminiscent of the then-popular track "Back to Life" by Soul II Soul. 28 "You'll See" Hot 100 Peak Position: 6 Peak Year: 1995 Composed and produced with David Foster, "You'll See" was one of a handful of new tunes Madonna recorded for her 1995 ballads collection Something to Remember. The ballad, which showcased Madonna's newly-trained vocal abilities, would prepare audiences for her lead role in the following year's Evita. The "You'll See" music video became Madonna's first sequel clip - as it followed the story set in motion in the dramatic "Take a Bow" short. 27 "Borderline" Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Year: 1984 Madonna's first top 10 single was the first of a staggering 17 consecutive top 10s for the singer from 1984 through 1989.

The "Borderline" music video was the first collaboration between Madonna and director Mary Lambert, who would go on to helm her clips "Like a Virgin," "Material Girl," "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer." 26 "Don't Tell Me" Hot 100 Peak Position: 4 Peak Year: 2001 "Don't Tell Me" was the second single from the Music album and was co-written by Madonna's brother-in-law, recording artist Joe Henry. He would later release his own version of the track, re-titled "Stop," on his 2001 album Scar. 25 "Frozen" Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1998 The lead single from the Ray Of Light album marked a sonic change in Madonna's career, thanks to its co-producer, William Orbit. The track was heavily influenced by electronic dance music and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. It would have perhaps reached the top of the chart, had it not been for K-Ci & JoJo. The week that "Frozen" zoomed from No. 5 to No.

2, the R&B duo's "All My Life" raced up the chart from No. 15 to No. 1 - blocking Madonna from the penthouse. 24 "Lucky Star" Hot 100 Peak Position: 4 Peak Year: 1984 "Lucky Star" is the lone Hot 100 hit in Madonna's catalog that was composed entirely by the diva herself. The uptempo number riffs a bit on the old nursery rhyme "Star Light, Star Bright" and has endured as one of Madonna's most beloved dance tracks. 23 "Dress You Up" Hot 100 Peak Position: 5 Peak Year: 1985 "Dress You Up" is the first of four singles on this tally from Madonna's Like a Virgin album. The plucky dance track was produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers (as was the rest of the Virgin album) and was the final single released from the set. 22 "This Used To Be My Playground" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 Peak Year: 1992 Written for the film A League of the Their Own, co-starring Madonna, this delicate ballad became her 10th No.

1 single in the summer of 1992. It spent a week at No. 1 - sandwiched between two monster hits. It followed a five-week No. 1 run by Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" and immediately preceded a 13-week reign by Boyz II Men's "End of the Road." Curiously, Madonna has yet to perform "This Used to Be My Playground" live - either on tour or during a promotional appearance. 21 "Angel" Hot 100 Peak Position: 5 Peak Year: 1985 One of Madonna's many singles which she co-wrote with Stephen Bray, "Angel" reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 1985. Rather famously, the "Angel" 12" vinyl single contains one of the most famous b-sides in U.S. history: "Into the Groove." While "Into the Groove" received a proper release in other countries, in America, it was relegated to b-side status despite its enormous popularity both on the radio and on MTV.

20 "4 Minutes" Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Year: 2008 "4 Minutes" is notable in that it was only the second single release in the U.S. from Madonna on which she shares credit with another artist. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland joined forces with her on the track - a little under five years after Madonna had first paired with Timberlake's former flame, Britney Spears, for "Me Against the Music." 19 "Secret" Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Year: 1994 Co-produced and co-written with Dallas Austin, "Secret" was the first single from Madonna's R&B-hued Bedtime Stories album in 1994. The strummy, hip-hop-lite song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 - stuck behind Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" (No.

1) and Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do." 18 "La Isla Bonita" Hot 100 Peak Position: 4 Peak Year: 1987 The Spanish-flavored track seems to be a favorite of Madonna's, as it has been included on the setlists of many of her concert tours. She also performed it at the 2007 Live Earth benefit show in London. "La Isla Bonita" was the fifth and final single from her True Blue album, and the cut reached No. 4 on the Hot 100. 17 "Cherish" Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1989 The light, lovey-dovey pop song was a throwback to '60s girl groups and doo-wop music, with couplets like "Romeo and Juliet they never felt this way, I bet" and "You are my destiny, I can't let go, baby, can't you see." The song's companion video clip was the first directed by photographer Herb Ritts. He had previously shot Madonna's album covers for True Blue and Like a Prayer.

16 "True Blue" Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Year: 1986 "True Blue," the title track from Madonna's 1986 album, spent three weeks stuck at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. All about "true love, oh baby," the single is an unabashed peppy love song. Perhaps an indication of Madonna's (lack of) fondness of the track - it has only been performed on one of her concert tours: 1987's Who's That Girl trek. 15 "Express Yourself" Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1989 "Come on girls, do you believe in love?" Well, Madonna had something to say about it in 1989, when "Express Yourself" was released as the second single from the Like a Prayer album. The single's video was directed by a pre-super-stardom David Fincher and was the first of four video collaborations between the two artists.

14 "Causing A Commotion" Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1987 "Causing a Commotion" was the second single from Madonna's Who's That Girl soundtrack, peaking at No. 2 for three straight weeks. (It was prevented from reaching the top by Michael Jackson's "Bad," which jumped to No. 1 the same week "Commotion" hit No. 2 for the first time.) "Commotion" also ranks as Madonna's biggest Hot 100 hit (on this top 40 recap) without an official music video. 13 "I'll Remember" (From "With Honors") Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1994 "I'll Remember," from the film With Honors, is one of six Madonna singles that have peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Madonna holds the record for the most No. 2 hits in Hot 100 history.

This particular track was lodged in the runner-up position for four weeks, behind All-4-One's "I Swear." 12 "Material Girl" Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Year: 1985 "Material Girl" is one of those singles that some people might assume was a No. 1 hit for Madonna. However, it topped out at No. 2 on the Hot 100 tally in 1985. As the second hit from the Like a Virgin album, the song would also become a nickname for the diva herself (whether she liked it or not). 11 "Who's That Girl" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 Peak Year: 1987 We're entering rarified air now, as every one of Madonna's top 11 hits of all time on the Hot 100 chart are all No. 1s. "Who's That Girl" was the title track of the Madonna film and doubled as the lead single from its companion soundtrack. 10 "Open Your Heart" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 Peak Year: 1987 Madonna's third single from True Blue shot to No.

1 on the Hot 100 on Feb. 7, 1987, marking the singer's fifth chart-topper. Its video caused a stir as Madonna starred as an exotic dancer who becomes friends with a boy (played by dancer Felix Howard). 9 "Music" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (four weeks) Peak Year: 2000 Madonna's most recent Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 is "Music," which spent four weeks atop the tally in late 2000. The cut was the lead single of the Music album, which again teamed her with William Orbit (Ray of Light). The single itself, like a fair portion of the album, was co-written and co-produced by Madonna and Mirwais. 8 "Live To Tell" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 Peak Year: 1986 After the madness of the boy toy era of Madonna's career (1983-85), she surprised many with "Live to Tell," the lead track from her 1986 album True Blue. The haunting ballad was written partially for the film At Close Range (which starred her her then-husband Sean Penn) and found the No.

1 target on the Hot 100. The song was accompanied by a music video that introduced a decidedly toned-down Madonna to the public - one of the diva's first major so-called reinventions. 7 "Papa Don't Preach" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (two weeks) Peak Year: 1986 "Papa Don't Preach" was one of the few songs that even Madonna's most conservative critics could find reason to champion. The song tells the story of a young woman who confesses to her father that she's become pregnant, however, she's opting to keep her baby (as opposed to giving it up). 6 "Like A Prayer" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (three weeks) Peak Year: 1989 Would anyone have thought that "Like a Prayer" - which caused so much controversy in 1989 upon its release - would ultimately end up being performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012? Yeah, we didn't think so. The song premiered in a two-minute Pepsi commercial that aired during The Cosby Show on March 2, 1989.

(Pepsi was set to sponsor Madonna's then-upcoming Blond Ambition Tour.) The next day, the "Like a Prayer" music video debuted ... you know, the one with the burning crosses, stigmata and so on? Yes, well, Pepsi high-tailed it away from Madonna and she - again - outraged the masses. 5 "Justify My Love" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (two weeks) Peak Year: 1991 "Justify My Love," like so many of Madonna's singles, spawned a music video that garnered more attention than perhaps the song itself. Its clip was so racy, MTV declined to air it entirely. Luckily for the buying public, Madonna opted to sell the video as the first-ever commercially-available video single. 4 "Take A Bow" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (seven weeks) Peak Year: 1995 It may surprise some, but "Take a Bow" spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other Madonna single. (However, on this list, it ultimately ranks at No.

4.) With a seven-week run atop the Hot 100, 1995's "Take a Bow" returned her to the top of the chart for the first time since 1992 ("This Used to Be My Playground"). Co-written and co-produced with Babyface, "Take a Bow" is one of two No. 1 singles that she's yet to sing on tour - the other is "This Used to Be My Playground." 3 "Crazy For You" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 Peak Year: 1985 Perhaps the ultimate slow-dance song, "Crazy for You" proved to be so popular upon its release that it bumped "We Are the World" by USA for Africa out of the No. 1 slot. Before "Crazy for You" had reached the top, though, it had sat in the No. 2 position for three straight weeks, biding its time until it could push "We Are the World" aside.

2 "Vogue" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (three weeks) Peak Year: 1990 Initially planned as the b-side of "Keep It Together," Madonna's tribute to the fierceness that is vogueing was thankfully released as a single on its own. The thumping dance number is as iconic as its glamorous black-and-white music video, which was directed by David Fincher. 1 "Like A Virgin" Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (six weeks) Peak Year: 1984 It's somehow appropriate that Madonna's first No. 1, "Like a Virgin," tops our list of her 40 biggest Hot 100 hit singles. The title track and lead single from her 1984 album spent six weeks atop the chart and became one of the diva's signature songs. It was written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and produced by Nile Rodgers. MORE MADONNA: Open your chart to me… Madonna’s Official 40 Biggest Selling Singles Google + She made it through the wilderness, somehow she made it through… and 32 years after her very first hit Holiday, Madonna still gets everybody talking.

There’s plenty to say about her performances, her fashion sense, her pushing of boundaries and buttons when it comes to sex and ageing and religion and art, but to do any of that, Madonna has needed one thing – her massive collection of hits. >> Poll: What’s your ultimate Madonna track? << And what a back catalogue it is - her Top 40 biggest sellers alone amounts to over 15 million singles sales. Jump to the full Top 40 , or stick with us as we look over her Top 10, and, yes, we’re doing it in reverse order… 10. Beautiful Stranger (1999) Outselling seven of Madonna’s chart-toppers is this William Orbit-produced slice of kitsch perfection, from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Possibly the greatest Number 1 that never was for Madge, Beautiful Stranger had strong first-week sales of over 135,000 copies, but could not compete with S Club 7’s debut – Bring It All Back beat her to it, and denied Beautiful Stranger a place in chart history.

SALES: 534,800 CHART FACT: This was the ninth time Madonna had seen a single stall at Number 2 – she’s had 12 runners-up in total. MADGE FACT: Madonna has only performed this song on tour once, during the Drowned World Tour in 2001. > See Beautiful Stranger's entire chart run 9. Frozen (1998) Now that’s what you call a comeback. After a few years off having her first baby Lourdes and making Evita – which won her a Golden Globe – Madonna returned with a new attitude and an album full of trance bangers and trippy beats. Lead single Frozen was the perfect introduction and kicked off her work with William Orbit, who’d go on to collaborate with her on two further albums. SALES: 556,000 CHART FACT: Frozen was Madonna’s first Number 1 in eight years – she hadn’t enjoyed a chart-topper since Vogue in 1990. MADGE FACT: Madonna didn't really go brunette in the video for Frozen; it was a wig.

The video was filmed in bright sunshine in the Californian desert, with the 1998 equivalent of about a million Instagram filters over the top to make it look colder. > Track Frozen's chart progress 8. True Blue (1986) In many ways, Madonna’s most overlooked Number 1, True Blue came right bang in the middle of the star’s ‘imperial phase’. Written for and about her then-husband Sean Penn, True Blue is very much the unloved stepchild of Madonna’s back catalogue. She never performs it on tour and seems a little bit embarrassed by it. It didn’t put off anybody buying it, though. While it was Number 1 for just a week, True Blue has outsold some of her more famous Number 1s, including poor old Vogue, which just misses the Top 10. SALES: 556,900 CHART FACT: True Blue was knocked off Number 1 by EastEnders’ star Nick Berry’s anthem Every Loser Wins. I guess he was proven right that week at least. > Take a look at the True Blue album's incredible 66-week first run in the Top 40 7.

Like A Prayer (1989) Madonna’s show-stopper and an instant classic, Like A Prayer was the centre of huge controversy upon release – all in a day’s work for Madge, really. A video featuring burning crosses and a violent murder was always going to grab some attention, and thanks to a well-known soft drinks firm pulling the plug on an advertising campaign featuring the song, its notoriety took it all the way to Number 1. Also, Madonna hair fans, this was the first time she had led a new album campaign as a brunette. She’d do it only once more, on American Life in 2003. SALES: 613,300 CHART FACT: Like A Prayer spent three weeks at Number 1 before being toppled by the Bangles’ Eternal Flame. MADGE FACT: The saint who Madonna snogs in the church is widely, and mistakenly, believed to be based on Jesus. That's not true. He's actually supposed to be St. Martin de Porres, the patron saint of those seeking interracial harmony, which makes perfect sense when you watch the video. > Did you know three versions of Like A Prayer have charted? Check them out 6.

Hung Up (2005) When you start to count up Madonna’s comebacks and reinventions, you run out of fingers pretty quickly. Following what you might call a lukewarm reception to previous album American Life, Madonna decided it was time to crank up the disco beats and fill dance floors up and down the country, which she did with Hung Up, the lead from Confessions On A Dance Floor. Featuring a mega-famous sample of Abba’s Gimme Gimme Gimme, Hung Up gave Madonna her biggest global hit in years, showed there was plenty of time for us all to get fit enough to buy a leotard and, more importantly, put Madge back at Number 1 where she belonged. SALES: 625,600 CHART FACT: Hung Up was Madonna’s first Number 1 to spend more than a week at the top since Vogue in 1990. MADGE FACT: Madonna had a nasty fall from her horse not long before the video was shot and broke her arm and some ribs. She said when she was dancing her arm felt like it was "flapping like a chicken wing".

Hung Up's video had a kind of sequel, with the Sorry video picking up where Hung Up left off. Madonna hadn't done this since 1995, when You'll See carried on the story of the Take A Bow video. Top 5! Are you ready? I’m waaaaaiting… 5. Papa Don’t Preach (1986) Madonna’s first Number 1 from her classic True Blue album was one of her first major brushes with controversy. Papa Don’t Preach, which told the story of a pregnant teenage girl, angered both anti-abortion and pro-choice campaigners, but political wrangling aside, it was a brilliant pop song. Madonna’s second Number 1, it ruled the Official Singles Chart for three weeks of summer 1986. SALES: 650,700 CHART FACT: Papa Don’t Preach ended Wham’s reign at the top with Edge Of Heaven. It was eventually dispatched by Chris de Burgh’s romantic slow-dance classic The Lady In Red.

MADGE FACT: Madonna resurrected her famous 'Italians Do It Better' T-shirt on her 2004 Re-Invention Tour, sometimes switching out the nationality depending on where she was. > Track Papa Don't Preach's chart run 4. Holiday (1984, 1985, 1990) The tune where it all began, which was so popular, she released it three times. Landing at Number 6 in winter 1984 and scoring Madonna her first Top 10, the song went on to bigger success the following year. Released in summer, which makes much more sense when you think about it – it’s about taking some time off, after all – Holiday zoomed to Number 2. Madge obviously thought she might as well have another crack at Number 1 with Holiday, and so in 1991 released it again – as Madonna’s greatest hits mania was in full swing with the release of The Immaculate Collection. This time, it reached Number 5, but three entries in the Top 10 for the same song isn’t bad at all, really.

SALES: 717,600 CHART FACT: So who kept Holiday off the top? Well, it was the lady herself! One week in 1985, Holiday sat at Number 2 right behind Into The Groove at the top of the Official Singles Chart. MADGE FACT: In the rarely seen official video for Holiday – that we imagine Madonna would probably rather pretend never happened – Madge's brother Christopher can be seen dancing on the left. They'd later have a huge falling out when Christopher wrote a tell-all book, but she's confirmed they're speaking again now. > Nosey at every single chart hit called Holiday 3. Crazy For You (1985, 1991) Madonna’s most successful ballad is officially this track that never actually appeared on any of her studio albums. Taken from the frankly dodgy movie Vision Quest – which would later be renamed Crazy For You for reasons we’re sure aren’t that hard to work out – Crazy For You saw Madge slow things down in the middle of the Madonna mania of the mid-eighties and reach Number 2.

Crazy For You was another of her old tunes that got a chance to chart again, coming out again in 1991 and, remarkably, hitting Number 2 once more. SALES: 781,900 CHART FACT: On its first run, Crazy For You was kept off Number 1 by Sister Sledge’s Frankie. On its return to Number 2 in 1991, it was kept at bay by two records. The Simpsons’ Do The Bartman (!) held it off first of all, then a rerelease of The Clash’s Should I Stay Or Should I Go leapfrogged over her to take the top spot. MADGE FACT: Gambler was featured in Vision Quest too. > Look up Crazy For You in our chart archive 2. Like A Virgin (1984) This is the one where everything changed for Madonna and she began to resemble the unstoppable force that would dominate pop in the Eighties. The Nile Rodgers-produced track didn’t just kick off the campaign for Madonna’s second album of the same name, Like A Virgin was also the first of an incredible run of 36 consecutive Top 10 entries. No star has bettered that yet.

Also incredible is that Madonna’s second biggest selling single wasn’t even a Number 1 – a question commonly incorrectly guessed in pub quizzes – it reached Number 3. SALES: 832,200 CHART FACT: Like A Virgin was the 18th bestselling single of 1984. MADGE FACT: Nile Rodgers, who produced the Like A Virgin album, has said that he was hoping to work with Madonna throughout her career, but his girlfriend didn't get on with actor Sean Penn, who ended up being the first Mr Madonna. > Check out Madonna's rivals for the top spot 1. Into The Groove (1985) It’s only right that the song that should rule them all is Her Madgesty’s very first Number 1, the song that started off a run of 13 Number 1 singles, more than any other female artist in British chart history. Soundtracking Madonna’s big-screen debut in Desperately Seeking Susan, Into The Groove was a huge hit over summer 1985.

Despite not having a proper video and thanks in part to not being available on Madonna’s Like A Virgin album – until a reissue solved that problem later on – Into The Groove stormed to the top of the Official Singles Chart and refused to budge for a month. While Into The Groove may not hold the same affection for many as Holiday or Crazy For You still do, it still pretty much sums up Madonna’s whole ethos. “Only when I’m dancing can I feel this free,” she sings, barely pausing for breath, and she hasn’t stopped busting a move since. An anthem fit for a queen, Into The Groove takes the throne – it’s her biggest selling song, and you can’t argue with that. SALES: 877,500. Yep, that’s right, it’s not a million-seller. Madonna is one of the most successful acts of all time to still not nab a million-selling single. CHART FACTS: Into The Groove is tied with Vogue and 4 Minutes for her longest stint at Number 1 – four weeks. It knocked Eurythmics’ There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) off the top.

It was eventually toppled by UB40 and Chrissie Hynde with their cover of I Got You Babe. Into The Groove also managed to keep Madonna herself off Number 1 – the rerelease of Holiday sat right behind it from 11–17 August 1985. Coincidentally, that was the week of Madonna’s 27th birthday. MADGE FACT: Into The Groove would later feature in a jeans commercial, with a guest appearance from Missy Elliott and with refreshed lyrics. Missy would later team up with Madonna, Britney and Christina on that MTV VMAs performance in 2003. Other notable entries Madonna’s 1990 Number 1 Vogue just misses a Top 10 placing, landing at Number 11 with over 530,000 sales. Her most recent chart-topper 4 Minutes FT Justin Timberlake is just behind it at 12, with 507,000 copies sold. Material Girl, a Number 3 hit in 1985 thanks to one of her most iconic videos, has to settle for 16th, with over 385,000 sales.

Justify My Love, which was pretty saucy back in the day, and launched Madonna's first greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection, comes in 23rd with 275,500 sales. The Immaculate Collection is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Fan-favourite Gambler, which Madonna doesn’t seem to be that fond of and can be very hard to track down, finishes 25th, with a sales tally of 270,000. Its sandwiched between two of Madonna’s hugely overlooked hits Dress You Up and Angel, which both reached Number 5 despite having no video! The power of Madonna in 1985 – if you'd have been able to bottle it, you'd have ruled the world. Madonna’s collaboration with Britney Spears, Me Against The Music, scrapes into the Top 40 at Number 39, but if you’re a Madonna purist and want to know which Madge solo effort Me Against The Music has pushed into 41st place? Well, it’s bad news for Erotica. That lands just outside. Madonna’s biggest selling single not to go Top 10?

That honour belongs to Lucky Star – a Number 14 hit in 1984 and finishing 42nd on her countdown. Here’s the full Top 40: The Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time | PopMatters The Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time In the wake of Madonna'a ostentatious Super Bowl halftime performance, PopMatters presents a rundown of the Queen of Pop's 15 finest singles. 1 2 3 Next page [10 - 6] To date, Madonna has released 75 singles across 13 albums, four soundtrack albums, and six compilation albums, with “Give Me All Your Luvin’” (from the upcoming LP MDNA) being her latest. She has had 12 number-one hits in both the United States and the United Kingdom (with different sets of songs), plus 24 chart-toppers in Canada, and 38 US, 60 UK, and 49 Canadian Top 10 hits.

Madonna has dominated the radio and video airwaves for quite some time, and although the moniker of “King of Pop” is firmly affixed to Michael Jackson, “Queen of Pop” gets bounced around to every new fluffy pop tartlet who claims to integrate music and fashion like it’s something that’s never been done before This compendium of the most significant Madonna singles ever attempts to traverse the vast terrain of subjects, styles, and themes that Madonna gravitates towards most across her 29-year-long career. Before I (and a friend) began shortlisting Madonna singles, we decided that in order to do this list justice we would need to determine the most significant themes in Madonna’s body of work, so as not to end up with 15 dance songs, 15 ballads, or 15 random songs. The songs on this list aren’t necessarily characterized by just how huge the single was in terms of critical reception or chart performance, but rather how significant they are (without potentially repeating themselves) in helping to shape this iconic woman. Madonna has always been, first and foremost, a dance artist. There is no denying that her music is almost always catchy and meant to get you to step to the beat.

Some of her most popular songs are her simplest—“Into the Groove”, “Holiday”, “Vogue”, “Hung Up”... the list could literally go on and on. So, the pop/dance theme was a major consideration when making this countdown. Madonna has also never shied away from integrating elements of her private life that she feels comfortable divulging to the media-hungry public. Although her more personal tracks don’t always stand up as some of her best, it is undeniable that at times Madonna has managed to compete with some of the most introspective singer/songwriters around. Sexuality and gender have also been big recurring themes in her music—image being closely tied to the former and power integrating with the latter. In addition to being a powerful and sexual female, Madonna has oftentimes—more so in her image and personal messages—evoked some controversial and provocative interpretations of religion, be it Kabbalah, Christianity, or Judaism. Wrapped in her bombastic persona is her penchant to be provocative and controversial.

There are of course a number of other significant thematic recurrences in her music, but when distilling Madge down to her essence, she comes up as a powerful and sexual female dance/pop artist with the capacity to evoke some insightful and introspective songs from time to time. She’s more than just fluff, she’s more than just sexual, she’s more than just female, and she’s more than just powerful: she is Madonna! 15. “Take a Bow” Bedtime Stories (1994) There was a time in the early 1990s when Madonna was hated! You probably don’t remember, but she was the target of so many “slut” jokes, being ridiculed for her obscenities and lambasted for presenting herself as a down-right whore.

In less than thee years she released two explicit music videos (“Justify My Love” and “Erotica”) both banned from MTV airplay, published a sex-themed coffee table book, released a full-length sex-themed album (Erotica), played the key role in a raunchy erotic thriller (Body of Evidence), and made a surprise appearance at the 1992 Gaultier fashion show where she removed her jacket to reveal her exposed breasts underneath. The mainstream public saw a lot of Madonna being naked, and they hated her for being so forthright with her sexuality. Finally, in 1994 she put away the explicitness that characterized her for the first few years of the ‘90s and became more suggestive. Oftentimes dismissed for its occasionally schmaltzy sentiments, “Take a Bow” was a huge success for Madonna, a track accented perfectly by the fantastic video (produced as an audition tape for the lead role in the film Evita, which she would later go on to win). “Take a Bow” features a more demure Madonna, confident in her termination of a doomed relationship, and the music is accented by characteristically Asian orchestration and lovely poetic lyrics.

Also, instead of shying away from her sexuality completely, the video features the scantily dressed singer making love to a television—a scene just as explicit as her previous work, but this time more poignant and significant. Madonna quickly learned that the way back into the public’s collective hearts was to focus more attention on the music than on the frankness of her sexual image. 14. “Ray of Light” Ray of Light (1998) Madonna rode a pretty high wave for awhile, finally earning some of the respect of Hollywood (she so desperately sought) for turning out a wonderful performance as Eva Peron in the film version of Evita. Although she was somewhat praised for that role, even winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, she was still slightly on the outs with the music buying public, who hadn’t forgotten her earlier raunchy ways and were more and more moving away from dance/pop tunes (grunge being particularly huge at this point). So, at a time when Madonna was beginning to lose her musical significance, she searched inwardly and released arguably her best album to date—1998’s Ray of Light.

The album was magnificently produced by William Orbit (whom she has re-recruited for her soon-to-be-released MDNA album), and beautifully written with her most intimate and poetic lyrics. The title track characterized the “new” Madonna that took the world by storm, and won back the hearts of those who had written her off as having reached the end of her music career. Up until Ray of Light, Madonna had always kept the public at arm’s length, never fully granting access into her spiritual and personal side. Borrowing elements from the growing popularity of underground electronica, “Ray of Light” revealed that side of Madonna that fans and non-fans had never been exposed to before, and was received with open arms from her adoring public. Madonna was back! 13. “Who’s That Girl” Who’s That Girl soundtrack (1987) There is a side to Madonna’s career that we would all like to better forget. However, it is undeniably an aspect of what has made her such a flawed cultural icon.

She’s not magnificent at everything she does, which is part of what elevates her above most other frivolous pop acts, but everything she does is done on as grandeur a scale as she can muster. “Who’s That Girl” was written solely for the purpose of promoting her lead role in the film of the same name—a film too quickly dismissed, if you ask me. Although the film was met with dismal critical reception and an even worse box-office performance, the song went on to be her second simultaneous number one hit in the US, UK, and Canada, second to “Papa Don’t Preach” only a few years earlier. “Who’s That Girl”, in many ways, represents two significant aspects of Madonna’s career: 1. The side that sees her desperately trying to win the admiration of fellow thespians;and 2. Her ability to write and record wonderful thematic songs that oftentimes eclipse the movie for which they were written (ranging from “Crazy For You” for Vision Quest to her recent offering “Masterpiece”, for W.E.).

If “Who’s That Girl” and the subsequent Madonna songs from that soundtrack are any indication of how she can deftly capture the theme and feel of a film, one can only wonder what she could do scoring an entire soundtrack. Occasionally overlooked when compiling “best of Madonna” lists, “Who’s That Girl” is an insta-party from the moment it begins. 12. “Vogue” I’m Breathless (1990) What has kept Madonna afloat for so many years is her knack to pick out emerging trends happening in the fringes of culture and bring them into the limelight. For this track and its wonderful video, Madonna borrowed elements from the vogueing craze that was making its way through many gay clubs. Originally intended as a b-side for the single “Keep It Together”, record executives deemed the song much too good to be wasted as a b-side, and thank God they did! “Vogue” was released as a lead single for Madonna’s half-album/half-soundtrack I’m Breathless (Music from and Inspired by the film Dick Tracy), going on to become her biggest hit at the time.

The significance of “Vogue” however, cannot be isolated on the merits and quality of the song itself. It’s undeniable that Madonna’s cultural icon status is heavily influenced by her visual imagery, which perfectly complements (and sometimes overshadows) the audio. This symbiosis between the visual and the aural is none more so exemplified than in the success of “Vogue”: not only was the promo (directed by David Fincher) a commercial success, but the tune itself glorifies and epitomizes the synergy and importance between combining imagery and audio. As the song and video have gone on to become anthems of both Madonna and fashion/style trends, “Vogue” is delivered with all the class, attitude, and panache that made Madonna so world renowned. 11. “Holiday” Madonna (1983) Needing a radio-ready dance hit for her debut album, “Holiday” was given to Madonna by then co-collaborator and producer John “Jellybean” Benitez, who had discovered the demo floating around for some time (having been rejected by many pop acts to whom it was offered to).

“Holiday” was Madonna’s first hit single, and though it never really reaching the coveted top spot, it nonetheless went on to become the staple party song played at every wedding ever! It perfectly characterizes the beginnings of a monumental career that few will ever know. Quite arguably Madonna’s most recognizable and popular track, the appeal of “Holiday” traverses across a variety of music lovers who both love and revile her. Those who claim to not own a Madonna album will most likely admit to enjoying this simple tune when it’s pumped up in a crowded club or social event. It’s too infectious to not dance and sing along too, and too iconic to ignore. When the opening melody of this cross-genre hit begins, you know it’s a holiday. Madonna.com Let’s Celebrate Madonna’s 40th Number One Single September 11, 2009 In Billboard's September 26th issue (out next week) Our Lady of The Dancefloor Madonna will have her 40th!!! - that's right ' her 40TH NUMBER ONE SINGLE on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart" - more than any artist in the history of that chart.

A list of all her preceeding Number One's follow (feel free to sing along): 1. Holiday/Lucky Star (1983) 2. Like a Virgin (1984) 3. Material Girl (1985) 4. Angel/Into the Groove (1985) 5. Open Your Heart (1987) 6. Causing a Commotion (1987) 7. You Can Dance (LP Cuts) (1988) 8. Like a Prayer (1989) 9. Express Yourself (1989) 10. Keep It Together (1990) 11. Vogue (1990) 12. Justify My Love (1991) 13. Erotica (1992) 14. Deeper and Deeper (1993) 15. Fever (1993)

Question: What was Madonna's first UK number one single?
Answer: Into The Groove